Rough weather in the harbour - the Manly steamer Brighton during the storm June 1889

Ferries

As a harbour and river-based city, Sydney has relied on ferries from the earliest days of the colony's history. In the twentieth century, faster road transport reduced the usage of ferries, but they remain a feature of Sydney life.

Transport

Sydney's transport has been shaped by the geography of the city, changing economic and social needs, technological limitations and advances, and political considerations. From walking tracks and animal haulage to the commuting city of today, transport has also shaped the city itself, opening up new areas and choking others. Carts, ferries, trains, trams, buses and cars have all figured in Sydney's transport history.

Warriewood

Once a great swamp, Warriewood became important to Sydney's food supply, with so many greenhouses it was known as Glass City by the 1940s. Now subdivided, many of the street names recall tomato varieties once grown on the land.

Selfe, Norman

Engineer, naval architect, inventor, urban visionary and advocate of technical education, Norman Selfe was one of Sydney's most energetic and civic-minded citizens. His vision for Sydney included a harbour crossing decades before the Harbour Bridge was built, and an independent system of technical education long before the advent of TAFE. During his lifetime, his efforts were not successful, but many of his innovative ideas were later realised.